Pricing your clients...

[Los]

Not sure what the norm is now, but I am finding the per hour thing is scary to even the most hardcore of clients.

I have been pricing standard little one two three color jammers for girls around 120.Easy tribals at 150. super small tattoos around 40. large work around 350 per sitting(about 4 hours) with clear goals with the client. I'm like "outline" this session, "shading and some color testing" this session" "coloring" this session, and tightening up a session or two.

I think that a lower price brings in more friends and there is less hesitation. Like one girl gets a 40 dollar jammer she always brings a friend or two. and the little shamrocks add up to my daily minimum in like a couple hours. its great.


what about yous?

[-42-]

depends on the clientele you're after. I run a 50 dollar minimum and haven't done a tattoo less than 100 in god knows how long. Hourly rates work fine, you just have to know how to sell it. I used to do what you're talking about, cut flat rates and let them know what it covers, but sometimes it takes longer than you anticipate and I simply got tired of forking over free xtra time because of my big mouth. generally I run 100 bucks an hour, and I think its fair. I would charge a bit more, but I have a small shop and low overhead, so 100 will do. From time to time if my client is good I'll give an hour here or there, just to show appreciation, but no way in hell will that be the standard. People will take advantage of kindness, and once that happens they grow to expect it. BTW raising your minimum will drive off a great deal of cheapskates, even if it's just 10 bucks. You'd be surprised at the assholes that really b1tc4 about 10 bucks. The ones that don't generally care about what they're getting and don't mind the xtra bit of money. it also makes me wanna tattoo them more. Nothing worse than tattooing some self absorbed cheapskate who wants you to "add this, add that" for the shop minimum

[carterink]

we quote everything ahead of time, but 100 an hour is always in mind. 50 minimum also.
People have so much trouble understanding that all the little s&!t supply wise adds up. Did my first tattoo for 25 yesterday. That was only because all i did was a single dot for a beauty mark. I wouldn't have even done it if my appt didn't show and there wasn't a walkin at that time.

We generally spend atleast 50% of our time working on regulars and we do tend to give an extra hour or so ever couple hours with the ones we like. But we're by a military base and those regulars tend to pay us back ten fold in tips and extras. Gotta 3000$ 52 in big screen last year from a guy shipping out that didn't want to put it in storage or let his little sister get her hands on it. That's love right there. And i've got 3 other flat screens the same way and tons of other things the same way. I never even mention it. they just do it.

And if you don't have a credit card machine that has the tip bar on the print out, get one. If yours doesn't, call your credit card company and have them activate it. most machines do it, but u have to turn that option on. It's like night and day, the way people tip when they see that little empty tip section.

[TattooPadawan]

Originally Posted by carterink

And if you don't have a credit card machine that has the tip bar on the print out, get one. If yours doesn't, call your credit card company and have them activate it. most machines do it, but u have to turn that option on. It's like night and day, the way people tip when they see that little empty tip section.

I like to leave the tip bar off.
I always ask while running their card if they would like to add a tip.
Kinda put's them on the spot,..9 out of 10 times they tip $10 - $20.

[conorblue]

it all boils down to what your time and art is worth and when i see these discussions it really weirds me out. comparing hourly rates? charge what you are worth to you and your clients, no need to get it validated otherwise.
i think low minimums and dropping down your hourly rates...and trying to cut-throat the competition don't help anyone though and thats one thing i want to put out there.

shops around here offer 25 dollar tattoo specials, 20 dollar tattoos, ten dollar piercings..., are you kidding me? Of course these shops are all stocked with one, two, three year-in artists that have no idea what building a future in tattooing is all about, owned by piercers, and "tatters" who work a full time job as an auto mechanic during the day and tattoo on the weekend. This doesn't effect them. They live at home, or have other jobs...or just need enough money to buy weed....whatever.

But the shops that want to get paid fairly for their work, and make a decent living from the blood sweat and tears they have put in, have to set the bar with quality work at a fair price. Not decent work for cheap. The best work they know how, at a fair price for both parties. A pair of nike shoes cost 100 dollars and last 2-3 years tops. A tattoo, that cost 100 dollars, if applied correctly will last the entirety of ones life. But people balk at a 100 dollar tattoo, and come in wearing the newest jordans. Get the f@#k out.

Imagine if all the shops in your town have an 80 dollar minimum...100 dollar minimum...120 dollar minimum

we are one of the only businesses that are scared to "up" their hourly rates with the upping of everything else. Gas is 3 plus dollars a gallon, i drive 15 minutes to work, a 40 dollar tattoo aint even covering me getting to work and back in a week. A plumber that makes 30 an hour that has a day stocked full of jobs is making more than your general run of the mill street shop artist...are we artists or part time hobbyists?

i got friends in california charging 250 an hour, 300 and hour and are getting it all day every day. 100 an hour? when i started 7 years ago thats what an APPRENTICE would charge. im not saying to get one over on a client by anymeans, but a 40 dollar tattoo? i spend more money on lunch, and that lasts about 20 minutes and then into the toilet, literally.

I think its spitting on the tattoo gods, that busted their ass to make a decent living tattooing to charge so cheap, trade for beer and pot, or whatever else when you could be making a fair wage, and its worked for me so far, and only a minor annoyance when a toothless meth head cant get the "laughin and cryin' face" for 20 bucks like "dem dudes down the road did"...but really.

threads about not making money and threads about charging next to nothing dont belong in the same board.

[Solomon]

I will never ask for a tip, I hate it when the other tattoo artists ask for tips when they run credit cards. To me it sounds like begging. I understand intellectually that it isnt, and I dont think anyone is a bad person for doing it, but for me, I cant and wont

I think if you want a tip, definately put that xtra line on the credit card thing and let the customer decide. I know that most dont tip cuz they dont understand the biz, but tattoos usually cost alot more than lunch, or haircuts.

[Los]

Yea, I'm not trying to go cheap or sell us out. I work in a working class 'hood right now. I agree with everything in here, I am just saying, I make clear goals for my client as to what we will accomplish and potential problems.

I think what I am trying to say is any dude walking through the door might not "get" what his tattoo will cost. So he sees an eagle on the wall, I'm like "250" he gets it. If I say 150 and hour he might get spooked.

I just think my prices don't reflect the California 300/hour thing. I hear a lot of dudes aren't working out there.

[conorblue]

Originally Posted by Los

Yea, I'm not trying to go cheap or sell us out. I work in a working class 'hood right now. I agree with everything in here, I am just saying, I make clear goals for my client as to what we will accomplish and potential problems.

I think what I am trying to say is any dude walking through the door might not "get" what his tattoo will cost. So he sees an eagle on the wall, I'm like "250" he gets it. If I say 150 and hour he might get spooked.

I just think my prices don't reflect the California 300/hour thing. I hear a lot of dudes aren't working out there.

true true, i agree with that as a middle ground as well. i have to price a lot of things outright even if i tell em the hourly and how many hours it might take some just dont get it.... ok 200 bucks... ha

[Los]

Yea, maybe this is just me venting about remembering who our clients are. Even if they want big work, they may need an education on it. Plus we ARE NOT PLUMBERS. People need their s&!t pipes to flow right, they don't need tattoos.

Just a fun conversation on sales I guess. So instead of people walking out the door because I want 150 for a star the size of a nickel, I go low, and know their three friends will get some work too.

boo-ya-Jim Kramer America

[conorblue]

Originally Posted by Los

Yea, maybe this is just me venting about remembering who our clients are. Even if they want big work, they may need an education on it. Plus we ARE NOT PLUMBERS. People need their s&!t pipes to flow right, they don't need tattoos.

Just a fun conversation on sales I guess. So instead of people walking out the door because I want 150 for a star the size of a nickel, I go low, and know their three friends will get some work too.

boo-ya-Jim Kramer America

not needing a tattoo, doesn't dictate the price though, or atleast it shouldnt, people dont NEED a lot of things they buy (expensive dinners, shoes, clothes, cars, jewelry, haircuts, etc) its a luxury, and to me, costs what a luxury would cost.

i wouldnt go around all ho hum "oh well people dont need tattoos" so im lucky they get to do one at all...

if you cant afford a luxury, i am not going to nickel and dime until you can...supply and demand, basic economics. there are a lot of tattooers in this town, some better, some worse. where i fit into that equation determines what price i will charge, not if my clients are broke that week.

if every shop in town stuck to 150 for a star tattoo, they would be forced to up their level of knowledge of what makes a tattoo :good:, however people that price shop for tattoos aren't my main clientele to begin with.